


Night Vision

by lemonfish



Series: Heartbeats and Brainwaves [2]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 20:03:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4718741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonfish/pseuds/lemonfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not that Treville knew that the Cardinal was a vampire from the beginning. No, they were always too busy arguing about how the other was acting against the best interests of the crown, on a daily basis, for a good few years first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Vision

**Author's Note:**

> [Late Night](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4419578) from Treville's POV. You don't need to have read that to appreciate this, but if you want to, you can read them in any order.

Young Jean had an unhealthy fascination with vampire stories. He's not sure how it started. He remembers his older brother telling him to be indoors by sundown, "otherwise the vampires will get you!" He never actually believed him, but a part of him always wondered what it would be like to run into these ancient, bloodthirsty creatures. This morbid fascination compelled him to listen to every vampire story anybody would tell, and to devour the available literature in his spare time, all in an effort to learn more. He knew they weren't real, of course; but stories about them have been around for millennia. Surely there was something to it.

But as the years went on, he began to leave behind childish things, and Jean's interest in vampires simmered down into mild curiosity, until it all but disappeared. For much of his adult life he's had too much to worry about, such as managing his unruly group of Musketeers and protecting king and country, to think about vampires very much. No use wondering about the best way to fight off a vampire when you're trying to uncover conspiracies against the king's life. So Jean — Treville now — turned his attention to more worldly matters.

That is, until he met the Cardinal.

* * *

It's not that Treville knew that the Cardinal was a vampire from the beginning. No, they were always too busy arguing about how the other was acting against the best interests of the crown, on a daily basis, for a good few years first.

"I will not provide Musketeers to guard the Duke of Savoy!" Treville punctuates this by bringing his fist down on Richelieu's desk. The inkwell on the desk rattles, and a few black droplets splash onto parchment meant for Richelieu's official correspondence.

"He will not accept protection from my guards," Richelieu points out, in the tone of an adult pointing out the painfully obvious to a child. "And while it would be better for France if he were to be murdered in his sleep, allowing a head of state to die under our watch is … unseemly."

"After what he did to my men, how can I ask the rest of them to protect him? I refuse to do it. The Musketeers deserve better. Find another way."

Richelieu looks at him, right in the eyes. Treville expects him to be angry at him for refusing to comply, but instead he looks … determined. "You will provide four men to stand guard over the Duke and to make sure nothing happens to him."

As Richelieu speaks, Treville feels an odd compulsion to give him what he wants. It's an itch deep within his brain, telling him to give in to the Cardinal. It would be so easy to say yes, to let Richelieu have what he wants, maybe even to have him, right over the desk, state and church matters be damned … 

And he almost gives in.

Except that Richelieu's expression has gone from determined to complacent. Almost as if he knows Treville is about to say "yes". Almost as if he knows about the salacious image Treville just had about Richelieu and his desk.

And Treville remembers that if there's anything he hates, it's giving the Cardinal what he wants. So he ignores the itch and the burgeoning feelings of arousal, which takes quite a bit of effort on his part.

"I have already told you, I will not force Musketeers to guard the Duke. Find another way."

The itch to say yes grows stronger with his refusal, but Treville soldiers on, buoyed by the look of flabbergasted surprise on Richelieu's face. He does so enjoy disappointing the Cardinal. This feels closer to normal, and Treville is relieved.

"You cannot possibly be refusing me." Richelieu's mouth hangs open in disbelief. Treville notices that his hands are balled up into fists, like he's trying to keep himself from lunging at Treville to tear him to pieces. Good. 

"I possibly am," he declares defiantly. “So as I said, find another way to protect the Duke; the Musketeers will have no part in it. Your Eminence." He bows sarcastically. The itch, the compulsion to give in to the Cardinal gets even stronger as he looks in his direction, so Treville decides to walk away before he is tempted to change his mind. The further away he gets, the more the itch subsides; by the time he's slammed the door shut, it's gone entirely.

This is when Treville starts to harbour suspicions about Richelieu's nature.

* * *

Treville can only observe Richelieu so much without arousing suspicion. The Cardinal's public persona is beyond reproach. The only odd thing Treville notices is that he never seems to eat very much. At feasts held by the king, Richelieu picks at his food like a bird, only finishing half of whatever dish is served to him. From what Treville can tell, it also takes him a lot of effort to swallow anything down, though he does a good job of hiding it from casual observers. At first, he thinks it's because the Cardinal is ill, but when the same thing happens at the next seven state dinners, Treville inches closer to finding out Richelieu's secret.

Now that Treville has this insane notion in his head that Richelieu might be a vampire, it colors his observation of Richelieu. His gaunt, pale appearance. His master manipulation of people that must be the result of some sort of glamour. His undeniable charisma that draws everyone in — even Treville.

As a side effect of all his watching, Treville notices other qualities of Richelieu's that make him almost … endearing. He does seem to exert superhuman effort into making sure that the country is functioning. He is kind to his staff, who in turn are fiercely loyal to him. Plus, no matter Treville's objections to his methods, he cannot deny that everything Richelieu has done has turned out a net benefit for the King and France.

Nothing else seems to be amiss. There aren't sudden, mysterious murders of young virgins drained of blood. Richelieu has a reflection and has been in the sunlight plenty of times (although, Treville notes, always covered head to toe in ecclesiastical robes). Then again, basing his observations on fictional lore is probably not the best way to go about this.

But for all of Treville's reconnaissance, an itch in his brain, picky eating habits, and a bad complexion aren't enough to prove that Richelieu is a vampire. _How unfortunate that I can’t just use a crucifix_ , he thinks.

It's not that he knows what he’d do with this knowledge, were he to get it. But he’d just like to _know_.

* * *

It all comes to a head when Richelieu throws half the garrison in jail for an imagined slight by Treville. Even for Richelieu, this is excessive. Treville marches down to Richelieu's office, and grits his teeth when he sees the smug bastard writing a letter as if he didn’t have an angry Gascon charging at him like a mad bull.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

_The insufferable —_

As always, it turns into a shouting match. He hits Richelieu's desk again; it's becoming a habit. The yelling is only broken when Richelieu looks up at him. Instinctively, Treville mentally braces himself for the itch — but it doesn't happen. Instead, they hold each other's gazes in silence. Treville almost forgets to be angry.

Almost. He tears his eyes away from Richelieu's gray — no, blue — no, brown — _are changing eye colors a vampire trait?_ , he idly wonders. "Release my men, they've done nothing wrong."

Richelieu stands up. He says something, Treville is sure, but he's distracted by that damned itch starting up in his brain again. That is _it_. Now or never, he supposes.

"Don’t even think of trying your tricks on me."

Were he a more vindictive man, he would have enjoyed the look of shock on Richelieu's face.

"How did you know?" Richelieu asks. 

That's all the proof he needs. "I've had suspicions for a while. But they weren’t confirmed until just now."

As Richelieu sits back down, Treville looms over him. He thought this moment would feel better, his triumph over the damned Cardinal. Instead, he sees a defeated man before him. There goes his plan of simply taunting Richelieu with this knowledge every time he becomes difficult at court.

"What will you do?" Richelieu croaks out.

Treville hasn’t thought this far ahead. He never expected to get to this point, so he has nothing to say. He has two possibilities ahead of him: he could turn him over to the authorities, who would probably execute him. But what would happen to France? The power vacuum Richelieu's death would create might just consign France to oblivion. 

Or he could do nothing. Let Richelieu carry on as he has, and France goes on to flourish. And Treville could carry on as _he_ has, getting under the Cardinal's skin, but still working together for the good of the country.

He hopes Richelieu doesn’t feed on humans; it would make his decision the wrong one. He takes a deep breath.

"I … I wasn’t going to do anything."

Richelieu gets in his face, panic and anger coming off him in waves. "You've just discovered that your greatest enemy is an abomination! You expect me to believe that you are not going to run off to the king and get me out of your way once and for all?"

Treville fights back the laughter threatening to escape from him. Only Richelieu would be incensed that a man wasn’t using vital knowledge to his political advantage. "Are you angry _because_ I’m not signing you over for execution?"

"Yes! No!"

Richelieu is standing very close to him. The waves of panic and anger coming from the Cardinal are subsiding. Instead, they're being replaced by something even more dangerous. Desire, Treville senses.

But Treville will be damned if he makes the first move; the consequences if he is wrong are too great. So instead he tries to put Richelieu at ease, to give both of them a level playing field to start from. "Cardinal, if it took me this long to discover your secret, you can rest assured nobody else on earth even has an inkling. I do not wish to see — "

Richelieu's lips are surprisingly soft on his, and this more than anything stuns Treville into inaction. At first, Richelieu is tentative, as if he expects Treville to pull away. When instead he reciprocates, Richelieu goes in harder, and waves of desire wash over Treville. He runs his fingers through the Cardinal's hair, pulling him in closer. Richelieu falls back sitting on the desk, and pulls Treville down to his level without breaking the kiss.

Eventually, they reluctantly stop for air. Treville's heart races with excitement and anticipation.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” Richelieu says.

Treville pulls off of him, and tries not to look too disappointed as he straightens and prepares to leave. Clearly Richelieu has changed his mind. The sooner Treville can make his escape, the less awkward it will be all around.

But Richelieu pulls him back. And that's all the encouragement Treville needs, as he goes in for another kiss.

* * *

A few weeks later, Richelieu enters his office to find a dozen strings of garlic piled neatly on top of his desk.

**Author's Note:**

> To everyone who read both these stories, thank you! I don't know if I can add any more to this verse, but I'd love it if there were more Vampire!Richelieu fics out there.


End file.
